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No. 5 Vanderbilt beats Hawaii 2-1 to complete 4-game series sweep

Spencer Jones hit the go-ahead two-run homer to left in the top of the sixth inning to help No. 5 Vanderbilt complete a four-game sweep of Hawaii with a 2-1 victory this afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium.

Jones snapped a 1-for-10 skid in the series with an opposite-field shot off Hawaii reliever Harry Gustin, who had just come in to replace starter Cade Halemanu.

Halemanu, who was scratched from his scheduled start in Friday’s opener with a blister, took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and left after issuing a one-out walk in the sixth.

Gustin fell behind 3-1 to Jones before giving up Vanderbilt’s seventh homer of the series.

Matt Wong doubled inside the bag at third and gave UH its first lead of the series when he scored on an errant pickoff throw to first by Vanderbilt starter Nick Maldonado in the second inning for a 1-0 lead.

DallasJ Duarte doubled twice for UH (4-8), which finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Halemanu struck out four, walked four and allowed just one infield hit in 5 1/3 innings. He threw 80 pitches.

Vanderbilt (10-2) outscored Hawaii 36-5 in the series. UH suffered its first four-game sweep at home since Michigan in 2016.

Hawaii will return to the field Friday night to host Rutgers in the first of a four-game series.

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